Unit 7 - Principle of Safe Practice in Health and Social Care
Learning aim A: Examine how a duty of care contributes to safe practice in health and social care
settings
Duty of care
In this assignment I will be discussing the implications of a duty of care relating to both of my chosen
case studies – Merryvale Residence and Cherry Trees Children’s Centre. Staff working within health
and social care services have a responsibility to care for their service users, promote their wellbeing,
and protect them from anything that results in any personal, physical and/or emotional harm.
Professionals should perform their duties competently and reduce any potential risks.
Legal obligation to protect wellbeing and prevent harm
A duty of care is a legal and professional obligation for professionals to safeguard their patients
whilst they are using services. Professionals must act in the best interest of their patient and any
other individual that may be affected by their actions. Every professional working in a health and
social care setting has a duty of care and a legal obligation to protect patients’ wellbeing and keep
them safe. They should not fail to act in a way that results in harm and act within their capabilities
rather than focusing on tasks that are outside their competence levels. They must not agree to task
that they believe they cannot perform safely.
In health and social care settings, effective work relationships are established on professionalism and
principle of care, which require service providers to respect and promote the rights of everyone they
work with. Part of a professional’s code of conduct is to set relationship boundaries between them
and the patient, they must understand that it is different type of relationship with family and friends.
Professional boundaries provided the framework for healthy and formal relationships between
healthcare providers and patients. It helps to ensure safety and allows space between the
professional’s power and patients vulnerability and protects staff from being overly involved. As
patients are seen as vulnerable, professional boundaries protects their dignity, autonomy, and
allows privacy, and helps to develop trust and respect for their carer. Healthcare workers must have
‘professional detachment’ this means they must be able to provide care and show empathy
objectively and without being emotionally involved regardless of the patient’s status.
In Cherry Trees Children’s Centre, the unqualified volunteers may form unprofessional relationships
with the children they work with. This can mean the care they provide may not be equal as they are
prioritising one child over another rather than treating every child fairly. This can lead to children not
receiving the correct needs and in some cases neglect.
For healthcare professionals to maintain and promote quality services, The Code of Conduct
provides guidance to assist them on how to behave and act when engaging with patients. It helps in
the provision of safety, guaranteed care, and support that protects service users' well-being and
them from harm, as well as providing people with an understanding of what to look for and how to
recognise when things do not match these standards or when they need to be improved. Service
users benefit from the Code of Conduct since it informs them about the type of services they should
receive from different organisations. All carers should protect their patients' privacy and dignity
while providing excellent care. Staff should also interact and communicate with each other to
address the holistic needs of patients; this will empower service users and make them feel included
in their treatment.
In Merryvale Residence, one of the women has noticed that her partner has developed bruises on
her neck and arms and requires assistance when dressing and bathing. This shows that the staff here
1
Learning aim A: Examine how a duty of care contributes to safe practice in health and social care
settings
Duty of care
In this assignment I will be discussing the implications of a duty of care relating to both of my chosen
case studies – Merryvale Residence and Cherry Trees Children’s Centre. Staff working within health
and social care services have a responsibility to care for their service users, promote their wellbeing,
and protect them from anything that results in any personal, physical and/or emotional harm.
Professionals should perform their duties competently and reduce any potential risks.
Legal obligation to protect wellbeing and prevent harm
A duty of care is a legal and professional obligation for professionals to safeguard their patients
whilst they are using services. Professionals must act in the best interest of their patient and any
other individual that may be affected by their actions. Every professional working in a health and
social care setting has a duty of care and a legal obligation to protect patients’ wellbeing and keep
them safe. They should not fail to act in a way that results in harm and act within their capabilities
rather than focusing on tasks that are outside their competence levels. They must not agree to task
that they believe they cannot perform safely.
In health and social care settings, effective work relationships are established on professionalism and
principle of care, which require service providers to respect and promote the rights of everyone they
work with. Part of a professional’s code of conduct is to set relationship boundaries between them
and the patient, they must understand that it is different type of relationship with family and friends.
Professional boundaries provided the framework for healthy and formal relationships between
healthcare providers and patients. It helps to ensure safety and allows space between the
professional’s power and patients vulnerability and protects staff from being overly involved. As
patients are seen as vulnerable, professional boundaries protects their dignity, autonomy, and
allows privacy, and helps to develop trust and respect for their carer. Healthcare workers must have
‘professional detachment’ this means they must be able to provide care and show empathy
objectively and without being emotionally involved regardless of the patient’s status.
In Cherry Trees Children’s Centre, the unqualified volunteers may form unprofessional relationships
with the children they work with. This can mean the care they provide may not be equal as they are
prioritising one child over another rather than treating every child fairly. This can lead to children not
receiving the correct needs and in some cases neglect.
For healthcare professionals to maintain and promote quality services, The Code of Conduct
provides guidance to assist them on how to behave and act when engaging with patients. It helps in
the provision of safety, guaranteed care, and support that protects service users' well-being and
them from harm, as well as providing people with an understanding of what to look for and how to
recognise when things do not match these standards or when they need to be improved. Service
users benefit from the Code of Conduct since it informs them about the type of services they should
receive from different organisations. All carers should protect their patients' privacy and dignity
while providing excellent care. Staff should also interact and communicate with each other to
address the holistic needs of patients; this will empower service users and make them feel included
in their treatment.
In Merryvale Residence, one of the women has noticed that her partner has developed bruises on
her neck and arms and requires assistance when dressing and bathing. This shows that the staff here
1
